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Friday, 13 September 2013

Smashed Cucumbers and Marinated Aubergines

I was cooking the other day, with my very helpful friend perched comfortably on the couch observing me.

"Stop pinching the food."

"What? (munch) Oh."

I know it's a bad habit, but I have an uncontrollable urge to nibble while I'm cooking. It's not even that I'm hungry, or that I need to taste the food (I do use this excuse a lot); I just need to nibble. I don't even realise it sometimes, until I look at the curiously small pile of cut vegetables on the side of my chopping board.

"The word for it is greedy." (Yes that same friend again watching me type – GO AWAY TOM.)

I'm quite good these days. Before I even start cooking I make a little salad/ snack just to keep dinner safe from my (yes) greedy fingers. It sounds like a crazy thing to do, especially when you're already caught up in preparing the actual dinner, but it honestly takes less than a minute's work and is probably better than the packet of crisps Tom was trying to distract me from pinching dinner with. I usually just wing it with the vegetables that I'm already in the midst of chopping.

Smashed cucumbers is one of my favourite Chinese street snacks/ London kitchen snacks. Visually, it looks a mess compared to the usual neat circles of sliced cucumbers, but their ugly ragged edges hold on to the dressing wonderfully; also, this method is perhaps the quickest way that one could prepare cucumbers. Everyone has a slightly different way of doing the dressing, but I like mine with a drop of chilli oil for a fiery kick to the sharp, musky taste of black vinegar. I say dressing, but this is more so a marinade then a dressing, for the magic really happens when you let all that wonderful flavours seep through the crude smashed edges.

The same goes for aubergines, simply steamed so it becomes a soft sponge for soaking up gorgeous marinades– again, I wing it but my favourites are using miso/sesame paste or sweet soy sauce. I thought I'll throw this one in too; depending on how quick you finish with preparing dinner, you can either have it as a snack or a side dish. Both take seconds to prepare; the waiting time is for you to get on with what you've got planned for dinner. If you can't wait the ten minutes before nibbling, you have a far more serious problem than I do.

*To make your own, put 2-3 tbsp dried chilli flakes into a glass jar, heat 1/2 cup groundnut oil till smoking, let cool a little, then pour into the jar, and let infuse for any period of time from1 hour to forever.

Method

1. Using the handle of a large knife, smash the cucumber until it cracks open. Turn knife around and roughly chop into chunks.

2. Mix the rest of the ingredients for the dressing and toss with the cucumbers. Leave for 10 minutes to marinate and become awesome.

~

MARINATED AUBERGINES

Ingredients

1 small young aubergine

1 tbsp good, traditionally brewed soy sauce

1 tbsp fine sugar

1 tsp mirin*

drizzle of toasted sesame oil

optional, to serve

chopped spring onions

toasted sesame seeds

*If unavailable, just use a bit more sugar and a dash of rice wine. If you don't have rice wine either, just heck it, it will still be awesome.

Method

1. Chop the aubergine into roughly even, medium-sized chunks.

2. Steam over high heat for 10 min-ish till cooked and soft.

3. Whisk the ingredients for the dressing until well combined, and toss with the cooked aubergines. Leave for 10 minutes to marinate and become awesome. Sprinkle over spring onions and/or sesame seeds, or don't.

So, two snacks that took me less than a minute of actual movement. Of course, I spent the ten minutes styling and photographing them, so dinner didn't actually get made on time that day, but you should be able to have a bit of snacking going on without interruption to your dinner plans.

If you would like the miso/sesame paste marinade, give me a shout below/ tweet/facebook me, the post is long enough as is.

Both my favourite vegetables, and both ending their run soon as the seasons change, so load up!

I love the idea of smashing a cucumber. I think I'd be quite good at that when I'm starving hungry and getting a bad case of the munchies! Those marinades sound mouthwatering and the end result looks delicious. Great idea for a snack.

I'm like you... I love to nibble when I'm cooking. I'd like to think that it's a warm-up before the actual meal :)The smashed cucumber looks brilliant and the aubergines... oh... so good. Aubergine is my favourite veg.

"Using the handle of a large knife, smash the cucumber until it cracks open"... does that mean I should hold it by the blade while swinging the handle through the air? Sounds like it would end in tears, lol! Speaking of tears, I have a full bottle of chilli oil in my kitchen... well, full minus about 2tsps. I've had it there for 7 years. I bought it from a Chinese supermarket in Paris; tried it at home and almost died. Talk about intense... so I think I'll give that a miss, but this looks like a great snack to have with a beer!

Really?! I don't think chilli oil is hot enough to make me cry.. well try it anyway with sesame oil isntead of chilli oil, maybe a drop or two to build up your tolerance. Also, with the vinegar soy sauce and sugar, the heat doesn't overpower too much. ALTHOUGH. I would be doubtful about that 7 year old jar...

Haha, I was trying to figure out who your 'friend' might be -- at first I imagined a furry friend, then I imagined a child, but I suspect that Tom may be... your partner ;-). I pinch food too -- it's amazing how unconscious eating is really (rather primitive stuff). I love sesame oil but now I must go on a hunt for black vinegar!! (never tried it).

Always guilty of snacking away half of my mise not-so-en place before finishing a dish...Smashed cucumbers are one of my favourites as well, and I still swear that my mom smashes better than I ever can. Whenever I'm making these back at home, I let her do the smashing! I just need a jar of both these things in the refrigerator at all times.

Steamed aubergines with chilli oil is one of my favourite vegetable snacks too and smashed cucumber has been on my cooking list for ages. I first saw it in a Japanese cookery book and thought that making it might be so much fun! Your both side-dishes/snacks look terrific! By the way, I also keep on eating while cooking. Even today I have made a big salad for lunch and had to cut more cucumber at the end because I had swallowed everything I had on the cutting board. PS Sorry for such a late comment. I was on long and very busy holidays in Japan.

Hey sissi! Of course I'm not going to expect you to still comment on blogs when you should be relaxing and away from the computer on holiday! I hope you had a good time in japan- I better go visit your blog now and see what's new and your latest travel-inspired dishes :)

You will love smashed cucumbers I think- this is so your thing! And hi-five about the cucumbers. I do that too- so often!